Distribution description file

If you want to build a bundled solution, containing several Spotfire package files or distribution files, you must provide a distribution description file written in an xml format. You can specify many of the command line parameters in the .xml description file.

For command line parameters that you specify in the .xml file, you do not need to specify the parameter on the command line. Any parameters specified in the .xml file are appended to the command line arguments. If you specify a parameter in both the .xml file and on the command line, then the command line specification takes precedence.

Here is an example demonstrating a distribution description (.xml) file.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!-- A distribution description that includes 
       all possible elements and attributes. -->
<!-- The following attributes can be specified. -->
<!-- SchemaVersion: Required. Shall be 1.0. -->
<!-- Id: Required. A GUID that uniquely identifies the distribution. -->
<!-- Name: Required. The name of the distribution. -->
<!-- Version: Required. The version number of the package. The format is not specified and can be any string value. -->
<DistributionDescription xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" SchemaVersion="1.0" Id="xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx" Name="A distribution" Version="My version">

  <!--A DistributionFile element that refers to an already built distribution (.sdn). -->
  <DistributionFile Filename="A_distribution.sdn" />

  <!-- A PackageDescriptionFile element that refers to an already built package (.spk). -->
  <PackageDescriptionFile Filename="A_package.spk" />

  <!-- Another PackageDescriptionFile element that refers to an already built package (.spk). -->
  <PackageDescriptionFile Filename="Another_package.spk" />
  
  <!-- An obsoleted package, i.e. a package that was included in earlier versions of this distribution but has been removed. -->
  <!-- By specifying an obsoleted package, Spotfire Server will automatically remove this from the deployment area when this distribution is uploaded. -->
  <!-- The following attributes must be specified for a ObsoletePackage element. -->
  <!-- Id: Required. The SeriesId that the obsoleted package had. -->
  <!-- Name: Required. Some arbitrary name for the obsoleted package. Recommeded is to use the old package name with the suffix _OBSOLETE -->
  <!-- Version: Required. A version number that is higher than the highest version number that exists for the package. -->
  <!--   If this is not the case, Spotfire Server will not remove the old package -->
  <!-- IntendedClient: Required. The same value that the old package had. -->
  <ObsoletePackage Id="3606C302-DB46-4811-9827-43F19CEABA8C" Name="A package_OBSOLETE" Version="14.6.7.0" IntendedClient="Core" />

</DistributionDescription>

The parameters specified in the .xml file are appended to the command line arguments.

The Spotfire Package Builder output is a distribution file (.sdn) that you can distribute and deploy to a Spotfire Server.